THURSDAY, JULY 9, 2026

Good Morning! On this day in 1846, President James Polk signed the Retrocession Act, returning Alexandria and the Virginia portion of the District of Columbia to Virginia. This ended decades of disenfranchisement for Alexandria residents, who had lost voting rights and economic opportunities after 1801.

A stomach parasite has surfaced in Virginia. Learn more in Top Stories.

More than half of retirees in the last five years say they regret how they planned, and it’s usually not the mistakes you’d expect. Experts say the ones that quietly derail retirement stay hidden until after the paycheck stops, when a handful of overlooked missteps start compounding at the worst possible time. In today’s Flyover Podcast, Amy breaks down the five most common retirement mistakes and how to sidestep them before they cost you. Tune in here to learn more!

Today’s sponsor, AirCar, is giving investors a chance to get in early on its vertically integrated flying car company, with a limited-time offer of 10% bonus shares before the current funding round closes.

Stomach Parasite Reaches Virginia

A stomach parasite that causes severe diarrhea has turned up in Virginia, part of a national tally of at least 145 cyclosporiasis cases the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has counted across 17 states since May 1.

Virginia is among the states reporting infections, with the CDC putting its count in the 1-to-10 range. Nationwide, 20 people have been hospitalized, and no deaths have been reported.

The illness spreads when food or water is contaminated with the microscopic cyclospora parasite, often through human feces, bringing on diarrhea, cramps, fatigue, and vomiting. Officials say cooking kills the parasite, and thorough washing helps.

The CDC says it has found no evidence of a single multistate outbreak tying the cases together; rather, it is a running surveillance count, and investigators are still hunting for sources. Cyclospora season runs May 1 through Aug. 31.

Navy IDs Lost Norfolk-Based Sailor

The Navy on Tuesday identified Cmdr. Gabriel Edwards, commander of a Norfolk-based helicopter squadron, as the sailor lost in the Arabian Sea after an emergency water landing on July 1.

Edwards led Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 5, the “Nightdippers,” deployed aboard the Norfolk-based carrier USS George H.W. Bush. Three of the four crew aboard the MH-60S Sea Hawk were rescued; Edwards was not.

The Navy suspended its search on July 5 after more than 102 hours across 14,000 square miles. The cause remains under investigation, with no indication of hostile fire.

A 2006 Norfolk State University graduate, Edwards had served 20 years and logged more than 2,000 flight hours. Acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao ordered him posthumously promoted to captain. Edwards is survived by his wife, Rebecca, and their two children.

VT Braces for Grad Student Enrollment Drop

Virginia Tech expects a 20% drop in incoming Ph.D. students this fall and is offering faculty buyouts and restructuring departments in response.

Provost Julie Ross told the board of visitors that graduate and professional enrollment already fell about 9.5% last fall, to 7,459 students. She pointed to a sharp drop in international students, declining federal research support, and waning interest in some computer science programs.

Some officials are tying the international decline to student-loan funding caps and visa delays under the Trump administration’s tighter immigration enforcement. More students are also studying abroad, with over 10,300 students from the state pursuing international degrees in 2023-2024—a 3.1% increase.

Tech has trimmed its budget by $5.4 million and is adding an online MBA and a new AI minor to be more competitive.

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The Real Reason This Flying Car Can Move Faster

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That control is exactly why AirCar can price its LightSport at $99K (4X more affordable than competitor EHang’s $410K+ aircraft), while hitting roughly 50% target margins. That’s also why it can move toward commercialization faster than competitors who are still years into heavy air-taxi certification.

Now you can get in on the growth as an early-stage AirCar shareholder. But don’t wait: you have 4 days left to receive 10% bonus shares.

➤ Statewide: Virginia’s pension plans for state employees and teachers remain on track to reach roughly 90% funding by 2030. A required actuarial audit found the Virginia Retirement System’s funding methods reasonable, with the trust fund outperforming its long-term investment assumptions. (More)

➤ Also Statewide: Virginia has recorded nearly 170 measles cases as of Tuesday, health officials said, as the outbreak continues spreading. (More)

➤ VA Highways: Fifteen people died in 14 separate crashes on Virginia highways over the Fourth of July weekend, according to state police. (See Details)

➤ Goochland County: Five boys escaped the Hallmark Youthcare psychiatric facility Monday night. Three were quickly found, while the other two were located safely in the Virginia Beach area, according to state police. (More)

➤ Richmond: City officials are pursuing a voter referendum on a 1% sales tax increase to fund school construction, which city projections say could increase to $50 million a year for Richmond Public Schools. (More)

➤ Shenandoah Valley: Democrat U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine toured the valley on Tuesday, highlighting federal investments in education, workforce development, and housing affordability. (More)

➤ Old Dominion University will build a $250 million Engineering and Arts building, the largest capital project in its history, after Gov. Abigail Spanberger approved full funding in the state budget. The 140,000-square-foot center is slated to open by 2030, ODU’s centennial. (More)

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➤ A congressional committee asked Wizards and Capitals owner Ted Leonsis to cut business ties with Alibaba after the Pentagon designated the Chinese tech giant a military company last month. (More)

➤ Virginia Tech football will host The Citadel on Aug. 28 to open the 2027 season, completing the Hokies’ nonconference schedule alongside Liberty and a trip to Notre Dame. It will be the first meeting since 1953 between the two senior military colleges. (More)

➤ The Washington Wizards acquired forward Khris Middleton in a six-team sign-and-trade, sending D’Angelo Russell and two future second-round picks to Memphis. The three-time All-Star and 2021 NBA champion averaged 10.2 points last season between Washington and Dallas. (More)

➤ Yesterday’s Results: MLB | WNBA | Wimbledon

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➤ NOODLE: The Thinkers Convention generated more than $1 million for the Newport News economy, according to an independent economic impact study the city commissioned from the Institute for Service Research. (More)

➤ Virginia Beach’s city council held a public hearing Tuesday on a proposed sale of the city-owned Virginia Beach National Golf Course to the Dragas Companies for redevelopment. Residents were split, with some backing the deal and others opposing it ahead of a council vote. (More)

➤ CSX began removing grain that spilled into a downtown Richmond canal after one of its trains derailed near Shockoe Bottom last week. (More)

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The Flying Car Market Is Growing 550% By 2030

There’s a pattern to the way new markets take off. First they’re dismissed, then they’re debated, then they’re obvious. By then, the early opportunity is gone. The flying car market is somewhere between the first two stages, which is exactly where you want to be.

In 2024, the global eVTOL market was worth $4.4B. By 2030, it’s projected to hit $28.6B. That’s 550% growth in six years.

Most retail investors will watch it happen from the sidelines. A few will get in now.

AirCar is already in the market: $21M in deposit-backed pre-orders, 1,000+ manned test flights, a $99K aircraft that’s 4X more affordable than the competition and first deliveries ~12 months out.

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➤ A new state law requires movie theater chains with five or more Virginia locations to show open captions—on-screen dialogue and sound descriptions—at a minimum of four screenings in a new film’s first two weeks. Smaller theaters must offer them on request. (More)

➤ The Arlington-based Insurance Institute for Highway Safety says driver-assist and self-driving features like automatic emergency braking and lane tracking show promise in preventing crashes, but researchers warn that drivers are over-relying on the systems and say complete safety data comparing them to human drivers is years away. (More)

➤ Virginia has 905 registered vehicles for every 1,000 residents, just above the national average of 875, according to 2024 federal data. The Commonwealth ranks No. 26 nationwide, far below No. 1 Montana, which leads with 2,174. (See Map)

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The following stories are featured exclusively on The Flyover Podcast—a daily show that gives you the most important headlines in under 15 minutes. Clicking the links will take you directly to these stories:

➤ More than half of retirees regret their planning, undone by five mistakes they never saw coming. (See List)

➤ Search crews have found the Boeing 737 cargo plane that vanished in the Arabian Sea. (Hear Details)

➤ Nike is being sued for allegedly copying 7-Eleven’s trademark colors days before the shoe’s launch. (Listen Now)